Saturday, December 1

Atlanta, Ga.

4:00 PM

University of Georgia

Alabama

Notes: Dawgs and Tide to Decide SEC Championship

November 26, 2018 | Football

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The Georgia Bulldogs vs. The Alabama Crimson Tide

Game & Broadcast Info

SEC Championship - Georgia Bulldogs vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Kickoff: Saturday, December 1 - 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes Benz Stadium (73,000) - Atlanta, Ga.
2018 Records: Georgia 11-1 (7-1 SEC), Alabama 12-0 (8-0 SEC)
Rankings: Georgia #4, Alabama #1
TV: CBS - Brad Nessler (PxP), Gary Danielson (analyst), Jamie Erdahl (sideline)
Video Stream: CBSSports.com
Radio: WSB AM 750 - Bulldog Network | Affiliates | Scott Howard (PxP), Eric Zeier (Color), Chuck Dowdle (sideline)
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com | TuneIn
Satellite: Sirius 146, XM 190
Web Stats: Live Stats
Twitter: #SECChampionship and #BAMAvsUGA
ReBroadcast: SEC Network: TBA

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Georgia	2018 Averages	Alabama
^40.1	Scoring Offense	^49.0
*17.2	Scoring Defense	*13.8
+3	Turnover Margin	+10
480.8	Total Offense	538.0
259.8	Rushing Offense	205.9
221.0	Passing Offense	332.1
17.5	Punt Returns	13.8
24.1	Kickoff Returns	23.5

^13th/2nd nationally; *10th/3rd nationally

Another SEC Championship Game Appearance

With the 34-17 victory over No. 9 Kentucky in Lexington on Nov. 3, Georgia clinched the Eastern Division. The Bulldogs (11-1, 7-1 SEC) now face top-ranked Alabama (12-0, 8-0 SEC) in the 2018 SEC Championship Game (SECCG) on Dec. 1 at 4 p.m. in Atlanta in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on CBS. The 2018 seniors are 42-11, and the 42 wins are tied for third in school history with the 2004 team.

The Bulldogs will be making their seventh appearance in the game, and they are 3-3 including winning the 2017 title over No. 2 Auburn. The Bulldogs have won or shared the SEC Eastern Division title nine times (1992, 2002, '03, '05, '07, '11, '12, '17, '18). In 1992, UF won the tiebreaker over UGA to represent the East in the SECCG and the same went for UT in 2007. Alabama will be making its 12th SEC Championship Game appearance and is 7-4 all-time in the conference title game.

The Bulldogs will be aiming for their 14th SEC title in school history and first back-toback crowns since winning three straight from 1980-82. Georgia's SEC titles have come in 1942-46-48-59-66-68-76-80-81-82-02-05-17. In the league, Georgia's 13 SEC titles trails only Alabama's 26.

Alabama leads the series history over Georgia 39-25-4. The last meeting also took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The teams met in that venue in last season's College Football Playoff National Championship as the No. 4 Crimson Tide won 26-23 in overtime. Georgia and Alabama last squared off for an SEC title in 2012, and then the No. 2 Crimson Tide held on for a 32-28 decision over No. 3 Georgia. That game also was decided on the last play as Georgia ran out of time at the Alabama 5-yard line. The 2012 SEC Championship Game marked the only time the Bulldogs have faced the Crimson Tide in an SECCG. The 2012 SEC Championship Game also was played on Dec. 1.

Georgia's last win over Alabama came in 2007 with a 26-23 overtime thriller in Tuscaloosa. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 16 at the time while Alabama was No. 22. Since then, the Crimson Tide have won four in a row in the series (2008: 41-30 in Athens; 2012 SEC Championship: 32-28 in Atlanta; 2015: 38-10 in Athens; 2018 National Championship Game: 26-23 in OT in Atlanta).

For the second time this season, ESPN College GameDay and SEC Nation will be on site when the Bulldogs play. The shows were in Jacksonville when Georgia defeated No. 9 Florida 36-17 at ITAA Bank Field on Oct. 27.

Bulldogs Versus Top 10 Teams Under Smart

The Bulldogs are 5-2 against top 10 teams under third-year coach Kirby Smart and only one of those games has been in Athens.

Nov. 12, 2016: Unranked GEORGIA def. #9 Auburn 13-7 in Athens, Ga.
Nov. 11, 2017: #10 Auburn def. #1 GEORGIA 40-17 in Auburn, Ala.
Dec. 2, 2017: #6 GEORGIA def. #2 Auburn 28-7 in SECCG in Atlanta, Ga.
Jan. 1, 2018: #3 GEORGIA def. #2 Oklahoma 54-48 in 2OT in the CFP Semifinal: Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, Calif.
Jan. 8, 2018: 4 Alabama def. #3 GEORGIA 26-23 in OT in the CFP National Championship Game in Atlanta, Ga.
Oct. 27, 2018: #7 GEORGIA def. #9 Florida 36-17 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Nov. 3, 2018: #6 GEORGIA def. #9 Kentucky 34-17 in Lexington, Ky.

Georgia Versus No. 1 Ranked Teams

The Bulldogs are 1-4 all-time against a top-ranked team and all five games have been at neutral sites.

Jan. 1, 1977: #1 Pittsburgh def. #5 GEORGIA 27-3 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, La.
Nov. 9, 1985: #17 GEORGIA def. #1 Florida 24-3 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Nov. 2, 1996: #1 Florida def. Unranked GEORGIA 47-7 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Oct. 31, 2009: #1 Florida def. Unranked GEORGIA 41-17 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Dec. 3, 2011: #1 LSU def. #12 GEORGIA 42-10 in SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, Ga.

Head Coach Kirby Smart

Personal
Full Name: Kirby Paul Smart
Birthdate: December 23, 1975
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama
Family: Wife: Mary Beth; Children: twins Weston and Julia (Feb. 8, 2008), and Andrew (May 25, 2012)
High School: Bainbridge (Ga.)
College: BBA Georgia '98; MS Alabama State '03

Coaching Experience
1999 Georgia Admin. Asst.
2000 Valdosta State Defensive Backs
2001 Valdosta State Def. Coord.
2002-03 FSU Grad. Assistant
2004 Alabama Defensive Backs
2005 Georgia Running Backs
2006 Miami Dolphins Safeties
2007 Alabama Asst. HC/DBs
2008-13, '15 Alabama Def. Coord./ILBs
2014 Alabama Asst. HC/Safeties
2016-current Georgia Head Coach

Playing Experience
Georgia (1995-98): Four-year letterman as defensive back. First team All-SEC in '98; 13 career interceptions; four-time member of SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Bainbridge H.S. (1991-93): Three-year letterman in football, basketball, and baseball; first team Class AAAA All-State as a senior; 16 career interceptions.
High School Coach: Sonny Smart (father)

Coach Smart's Record
Year	W	L	Pct.	SEC
2016	8	5	.615	4-4
2017	13	2	.866	7-1
2018	11	1	.917	7-1
Total	32	8	.800	19-7

When Georgia looked for a new head coach after the 2015 season, the arrows pointed to Kirby Smart, longtime Alabama defensive coordinator and former UGA player and assistant. The 2017 Associated Press SEC Coach of the Year has not disappointed.

In his first year leading the Bulldogs in 2016, Georgia extended its school record to 20 consecutive bowl appearances and posted five fourth-quarter comebacks including wins over No. 8 Alabama and No. 22 North Carolina. He led UGA to an 8-5 final record, which included a victory over TCU in the Liberty Bowl.

In 2017, Smart directed UGA to a 13-2 record, an SEC title, a win at The Rose Bowl Game during the CFP semifinal and a spot in the National Championship. He was named the Maxwell Football Club's George Munger National Coach of the Year. Before 2017, the Bulldogs last SEC title was 2005.

He has also made an immediate impact in recruiting, posting the nation's top-ranked class in 2018 and the third-ranked class in 2017. In addition to coaching, Smart oversees the Kirby Smart Family Foundation, which is focused on being champions in the community by supporting and giving back to needy children and families.

Smart officially came home to Georgia on Dec. 6, 2015. But he still had unfinished business at Alabama, which was chasing a national title. He juggled two jobs for a month until January 11, 2016, when the Tide won its fourth national championship in a seven-year span. Twelve hours later, he was at work in Athens.

Did You Know?
Kirby Smart is one of nine head coaches at schools from Power 5 conferences that are coaching at their alma maters.

The complete list:
Paul Chryst (Wisconsin)
Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern)
Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State)
Jim Harbaugh (Michigan)
Cliff Kingsbury (Texas Tech)
Barry Odom (Alabama)
Mark Richt (Miami)
David Shaw (Stanford)
Kirby Smart (GEORGIA)

Top Ind. Single-Game Performances Under Smart
Rushing Yards: 222, Nick Chubb vs. #22 UNC (9/3/16)
Rushing TDs: 3, Sony Michel vs. UK (11/18/17); vs. #2 Oklahoma (1/1/18)
Longest Rush: 83-TD, D'Andre Swift @ #9 UK (11/3/18)
Passing Yards: 346, Jacob Eason vs. VU (10/15/16)
Passing TDs: 3, Eason @ Missouri (9/17/16); Fromm vs. Samford (9/16/17), vs. MTSU (9/15/18), @ Missouri (9/22/18), vs. Vanderbilt (10/6/18), vs. #9 Florida (10/27/18)
Receiving TDs: 2, Isaiah McKenzie @ Alabama (9/17/16); Terry Godwin vs. Samford (9/16/17); Jeremiah Holloman vs. #9 Florida (10/27/18)
Longest TD Pass: 80-TD, Fromm to Mecole Hardman vs. BAMA (1/8/18)
Longest Pass: 80-TD, Fromm to Hardman vs. BAMA (1/8/18)
Tackles: 13, Roquan Smith vs. GT (11/26/16); SECCG (12/2/17); CFPNC (1/1/18)
Sacks: 3, Trenton Thompson vs. TCU (12/30/16)
TFL: 3, Thompson vs. Nicholls (9/10/16)

Quick Facts

2017 Georgia Munger National Coach of the Year finalist, leading UGA to a 13-2 record, a Rose Bowl Game victory and an appearance the CFP National Championship Game.
The Bulldogs' No. 2 AP ranking in 2017 was the team's top AP ranking since week three of the 2008 season when Georgia was No. 2.
Bulldogs captured the SEC Eastern Division by going 7-1 in 2017, including a perfect 6-0 in the division for the first time since the league split into divisions in 1992.
Seven fourth-quarter comebacks, including wins over #8 AU (2016), #22 UNC in Atlanta (2016), @ #24 Notre Dame (2017), vs. #2 Oklahoma in 2018 Rose Bowl Game.
Led UGA to its first win over a ranked team in a season opener away from Sanford Stadium in school history, posting a 33-24 win over #22 UNC during the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic.

10 Defense/Special Teams Scores
2016: Safety vs. #22 UNC; Lorenzo Carter 24-yd fumble recovery for TD vs. Nicholls; Terry Godwin 43-yd KOR for TD @ SC; Maurice Smith 34-yd INT return for TD vs. #8 Alabama; Isaiah McKenzie 82-yd PR for TD
2017: J.R. Reed 3-yd fumble recover for TD vs. Alabama
2018: Juwan Taylor 1-yd INT return for TD @ USC; Mecole Hardman 70-yd PR for TD vs. MTSU; Tyson Campbell 64-yd fumble recovery for TD & Eric Stokes 8-yd blocked punt for TD @ Missouri

7 Victories When Tied Or Trailing Late
Year	Opponent	Start of 4th Qtr.	Final
2016	%#22 UNC	Trailed 24-23	33-24
2016	@ Alabama	Trailed 27-21	28-27
2016	@ Alabama	Trailed 21-16	27-24
2016	#8 Alabama	Tied 7-7	13-7
2016	^TCU	Trailed 23-21	31-23
2017	#24 Notre Dame	17-16, trailed 19-17 with 10:21 left	20-19
2018	$ #2 Oklahoma 31-31	trailed 45-38 with 0:55 left	54-48 2ot

%Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic; ^Liberty Bowl; $Rose Bowl Game

High Octane Offense

Georgia is on pace to have one of the best scoring averages in UGA history this season. The Bulldogs have scored 40+ points in seven games this year and are averaging 40.1, which is second in the SEC. The 2014 team owns the school record at 41.3 ppg.

The Bulldog offense has scored 57 touchdowns in 2018 while the defense and special teams have each chipped in two scores.

The Bulldogs capped a perfect 7-0 home mark with a 45-21 win over Ga. Tech on Nov. 24 with 447 yards of total offense.

Georgia piled up 516 yards of total offense in the 27-10 victory over #24 Auburn. This was the most yards the Tigers had given up since Oklahoma had 524 in the 2016 Sugar Bowl.

The Bulldogs did not trail in a game until Vanderbilt took a 3-0 lead in game six. The Bulldogs responded 15 seconds later with a TD pass from sophomore QB Jake Fromm to senior WR Terry Godwin with 10:15 left in the opening period. Georgia trailed the entire game at #11 LSU and briefly versus #9 UF and #24 AU.

Efficient Signal Callers

Jake Fromm, a 2018 Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist, is hovering around the school record for Completion Percentage in 2018. He is ranked second in the SEC and 8th nationally at 69.1 percent. Georgia's school record is 67.9 by Hutson Mason in 2014. The SEC record is 72.3 percent held by Tim Couch (UK, 1998).

Fromm is 23-3 as a starter, including 8-3 versus Top 25 teams.

The Warner Robins, Ga., native is ranked third nationally on the active list in Passing Efficiency at 165.94. In the regular season finale versus Ga. Tech, Fromm had a career-high four TD passes. He started the game 7-for-7 to seven different receivers for 88 yards and one TD after finishing the UMass game 5-for-5 with one TD in limited action in a 66-27 rout.

His three TD passes versus #9 Florida all came on third downs covering 12, 16 and 24 yards. He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week after going 17-for-24 for 240 yards and three TDs.

Georgia also has freshman QB Justin Fields, who was one of the nation's top recruits. After enrolling in January, he has seen action in 11 games and is 27-for-38 with 328 yards and four scores and four rushing TDs. Fields also has 260 yards on 39 carries and is averaging 6.7 yards a carry.

Fields became the first Bulldog QB to have 100 yards rushing in 20 years when he did it versus UMass on Nov. 17 (Quincy Carter tallied 114 against UK in 1998). Fields, who was 5-for-8 for 121 yards and two touchdowns against UMass, also became the first Georgia QB to lead his team in rushing in a game since D.J. Shockley in 2005 against Boise State (85 yards).

In his career, Fromm has led his team to two comebacks when trailing at the half. One of Georgia's signature wins came with his 2018 Rose Bowl Game performance after the Bulldogs trailed #2 Oklahoma 31-17 at the half and rallied to a 54-48 win in double overtime. Georgia trailed 45-38 with 3:22 remaining in the game before Fromm directed a game-tying drive.

Fromm's first career start came last year at #24 Notre Dame. Trailing 19-17 with 6:47 left in the contest, Fromm directed a nine play, 63-yard drive to set up the go-ahead field goal. He was 3-for-4 for 45 yards during the drive.

Jake Fromm (UGA Career)
2017	Att	Cmp	TD	Int	Yds	Sk	Eff.
ASU (W)	15	10	1	0	143	0	168.7
@ #24 ND (W)	29	16	1	1	141	2	100.5
SU (W)	13	8	3	0	165	0	244.3
#17 MSU (W)	12	9	2	0	201	0	270.7
@ UT (W)	15	7	1	1	84	2	102.4
@ VU (W)	11	7	2	0	102	1	201.5
MU (W)	26	18	2	1	326	1	192.2
vs. UF (W)	4	7	1	1	101	0	196.9
USC (W)	22	16	2	0	196	1	177.6
@ #10 Alabama (L)	28	13	1	0	184	4	113.4
UK (W)	14	9	1	1	123	1	147.4
@ GT (W)	16	12	2	0	224	0	233.8
SECCG -#2 AU (W)	22	16	2	0	183	2	172.6
ROSE - #2 OU (W)	29	20	2	0	210	2	152.6
CFP NC - #4 UA (L)	32	16	1	2	232	4	108.7
2017 TOTAL	291	181	24	7	2,615	20	160.1
2018	Att	Cmp	TD	Int	Yds	Sk	Eff.
APSU (W)	16	12	2	0	157	0	198.7
@ #24 USC (W)	18	15	1	1	194	2	181.1
MTSU (W)	12	10	3	0	128	2	255.4
@ MISSOURI (W)	23	13	3	1	260	0	185.8
TENNESSEE (W)	22	16	0	0	185	3	143.3
VU (W)	23	17	3	0	276	0	217.8
@ #13 LSU (L)	34	16	1	2	209	3	96.6
vs. #9 ^UF (W)	24	17	3	0	240	1	196.1
vs. #9 UK (W)	20	14	1	0	113	0	134.0
#24 AU (W)	20	13	2	1	193	0	169.8
UMass (W)	5	5	1	0	106	0	344.1
GT (W)	16	13	4	0	175	0	255.6
2018 TOTAL	233	161	24	5	2,236	11	179.4
CAREER TOTAL	524	342	48	12	4,851	31	168.7

Sharing The Load In The Ground Game

Junior Elijah Holyfield (896 yds.) and sophomore D'Andre Swift (962 yds.) aim to become the latest Bulldogs to have a 1,000-yard season. There have been 13 to do it a total of 19 times in school history, most recently Nick Chubb (1,345) and Sony Michel (1,227) in 2017. In four of the past five contests, Swift has had 100-yard games.

Against #24 Auburn, the Bulldogs went over 300 yards on the ground and had a 100-yard rusher for the third straight game. In the SEC East clinching road win over #9 Kentucky, both tailbacks went over 100 yards as the Bulldogs tallied 331 yards.

Swift registered a career-high 186 yards and a score on 17 carries (10.9 avg) and had four catches for 43 yards against AU and was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.

Swift went for 156 and two scores and was named the Offensive Player of the Week while Holyfield had a career-high 115 and a score versus #9 UK

Name	GP/GS	Atts.	Yds.	Avg.	TDs
D'Andre Swift	12/4	139	962	6.9	9
Elijah Holyfield	12/8	133	896	6.7	7
TOTAL	12/12	272	1,858	6.8	16

Next Man Up On The Line

The Bulldog offensive line, coached by Broyles Award semifinalist Sam Pittman, has been named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award given to the nation's top unit. Georgia leads the SEC in Rushing Offense at 259.8 yards/game and also leads in SEC only games at 232.8. Sophomore LT Andrew Thomas was named the league's Offensive Lineman of the Week after the Dogs finished with 331 rushing yards at #9 UK.

Georgia has started four different alignments on the OL. It has featured Thomas/freshman Cade Mays (LT), redshirt sophomore Solomon Kindley (LG), senior Lamont Gaillard (C), redshirt sophomore Ben Cleveland/Mays/freshman Trey Hill (RG) and redshirt freshman Isaiah Wilson (RT). Wilson is the only lineman from the group who has not missed a snap due to injury.

Spreading The Wealth Each Saturday

Junior Riley Ridley leads the wideouts with 34 catches for 450 yards and eight touchdowns. Junior Mecole Hardman checks in with 32 receptions for 519 yards and six scores.

Versus #24 AU, junior WR Tyler Simmons caught his first career TD pass to give Georgia a 13-10 edge during the 27-10 win. Simmons followed that performance up with a 49-yard touchdown run and a career-long 87-yard scoring catch against UMass.

Hardman had a career day at #24 South Carolina, hauling in six catches for 103 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown. This was Georgia's first 100-yard receiver since the 2016 Liberty Bowl versus TCU (Isaiah McKenzie, 4-103). *Sophomore Jeremiah Holloman has 21 catches for 350 yards and five scores including two versus #9 UF. He averages 16.7 yards/catch.

Bulldogs Setting The Tone On Defense

Bulldogs Setting The Tone On Defense Georgia is fourth in the SEC and 10th nationally in Scoring Defense, allowing just 17.2 points/game.

Georgia held #24 Auburn to just 10 points and 274 yards, including only 102 on the ground, and kept the Tigers to a 3-for-11 mark on third downs. Like the Austin Peay and MTSU games, the Bulldogs shut out AU in the second half.

With the SEC East title on the line, the Bulldogs built a 14-3 halftime lead over #9 Kentucky as Georgia forced a pair of punts, a fumble and a field goal on the Wildcats' first four possessions.

Georgia kept #9 Florida to a season-low 275 total yards in their 36-17 victory over the Gators in Jacksonville. UGA forced UF into turnovers on its first two possessions.

In the first half of the win at Missouri, the Tigers ran 38 plays for 159 yards and were held to a touchdown. Missouri entered the contest averaging 43.7 pts. In the second half, the Tigers tallied 22 points and finished with 393 total yards on 85 plays.

In the Bulldogs' 41-13 win over Vanderbilt, the Commodores were held to a pair of field goals until they scored their first touchdown with :02 left.

Walker Making An Impact

Senior OLB D'Andre Walker has emerged as the leader on the outside. At #13 LSU, Walker had his team-leading fifth sack (currently at 6.5). He recorded four tackles, including two sacks, and forced two fumbles in the win at Missouri.

Walker has a team-leading three forced fumbles to go along with 40 total tackles and a team-leading 9.0 of those are TFLs.

Georgia has senior Juwan Taylor, sophomore Monty Rice, junior Tae Crowder and senior Natrez Patrick sharing time. Rice is second with 59 stops in only nine games while Taylor is sixth with 42 tackles. Rice didn't play versus Ga. Tech due to injury.

Crowder intercepted his second ball of the season during the victory over UMass. He highlighted the Missouri game with a 43-yard INT return, marking the first pick of his career. Crowder is tied with Deandre Baker for the team lead with 2 INTs.

Rice posted a team-high eight tackles, including his first career sack, during the win at #9 Kentucky. In fact, UGA had a season-high four sacks against the Wildcats.

In the victory over #9 Florida, Rice established a career high 11 stops and forced a fumble while Crowder recovered a fumble on the Gator 1-yard line.

Taylor recovered his second fumble versus Tennessee, which is tied for the team lead. At South Carolina, he was credited with a TD after Baker dropped the ball at the 1 yard line following a 55- yard INT return.

Starting Up Front

Veterans Jonathan Ledbetter and Tyler Clark anchor the line. Ledbetter is fourth on the team with 49 tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack, while Clark has 25 stops, including 4.0 TFL and a sack. Against #9 Kentucky, Ledbetter forced a fumble that Clark recovered. Ledbetter posted a career-high 10 stops at #13 LSU.

True freshman Jordan Davis has started three games versus #9 Florida, at #9 Kentucky and against #24 Auburn. In the contest at #13 LSU, Davis recorded seven tackles.

Junior Julian Rochester is also rotating with junior Michael Barnett and sophomore Malik Herring on the DL. Barnett and Herring made their first career starts in the win over Ga. Tech.

Georgia held Missouri QB Drew Lock to no TD passes in their trip to Columbia. Lock has 25 TD passes in 12 games in 2018.

Baker, Reed Leading Defensive Backfield

Senior DB Deandre Baker, a midseason All-American and finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, has 37 tackles on the year and is tied with ILB Tae Crowder with a team-best two picks. Baker also has nine pass break-ups and is tied for eighth in the SEC in passes defended with 11.

Baker had six stops, two pass breakups and the team's first interception in 2018 (along with a 55-yard return) at #24 South Carolina. He was named the Athlon National Defensive Player of the Week following the contest.

Junior J.R. Reed ranks third on the team with 50 stops. Reed's lone pick for 2018 came in the end zone at South Carolina.

Sophomore Richard LeCounte has started every game but the Auburn contest this year and leads the team with 64 tackles. He has been the leading tackler three times this year, including six stops and a forced fumble versus Vanderbilt. LeCounte had seven tackles and a 32-yard fumble return in the win over #9 Florida.

Freshman Tyson Campbell posted a career-high 11 tackles in the loss at #13 LSU, including eight solo stops.

Campbell and redshirt freshman Eric Stokes had career highlights in the win at Missouri. Campbell started the game by forcing a fumble, recovering it and scampering 64 yards for a touchdown. Stokes blocked a punt and returned it eight yards for another of the Dogs' scores. With AU leading 7-6, he had a key pass breakup on a 3rd-andgoal from the 4-yard line to force the Tigers to a field goal. Stokes started his first career game versus UMass on Nov. 17.

Blankenship One Of The Best

All-American candidate PK Rodrigo Blankenship enters the SECCG game with 115 points on the year (19 FGs, 58 PATs). He was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist for the second straight year and was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week following the 41-17 rout at #24 USC.

SEC leader in Scoring for PK (9.6 ppg).

Honored as one of 11 players nationwide named to the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

Has connected on a school record 147 consecutive PATs, topping Blair Walsh's record of 119 (2008-11). His 147 ranks fourth in SEC history for consecutive PATs.

Second in NCAA with 74 touchbacks out of 88 KOs in 2018. This tops his own school record of 67 from last season.

Set a Rose Bowl Game record by drilling a career-long 55- yard field goal during the 2OT win over #2 Oklahoma. His performance included a 38-yard FG in overtime.

Career Highs For Blankenship
Points: 17 (MU17; 4FG, 5PAT)
PATs: 9 (UMass)
FG Att: 6 (MU18)
FG Made: 4 (UK16, MU17)
FG Long: 55 (OU18)
KO: 10 (MU17)
KO Yards: 635 (MU17)

Blankenship Kicking Stats

Year	PAT	FG	LG	TP
2016	26x26	14-18	49	68
2017	63x63	20-23	55	123
2018	58x58	19-22	53	115
Total	147x147	53-63	55	306

Field Goal Breakdown

Year	1-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-99
2016 (14-18)	0-0	7-7	3-4	4-6	0-1
2017 (20-23)	0-0	8-8	6-6	4-7	2-2
2018 (19-22)	2-2	7-7	2-3	7-8	1-1
Total (53-63)	2-2	22-22	11-13	15-22	3-4

SEC's Leading Punt Returner Back

Junior returner/receiver Mecole Hardman is leading the SEC in Punt Return average at 21.8 and that mark would rank among the school's best ever. He had 23 punt returns for 271 yards and an 11.8 average in 2017 (all of those led the SEC). Also, Hardman is averaging 26.2 on 10 kickoff returns this year.

Hardman has had a 70-yard PR for a touchdown vers

Two Dogs Named To Academic All-District Team

Sophomore tailbacks D'Andre Swift and Prather Hudson have been named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District Team. Swift has a 3.42 in Journalism while Hudson has a 3.81 in Finance and Sport Management.

Seniors Go For 43

The 2018 senior class picked up its 42nd win last Saturday after beating Georgia Tech 45-21. The 2018 seniors are 42-11, and the 42 wins is tied for third in school history with the 2004 team. The record for most wins by a class is 44 held by the 2005 contingent, which won two SEC titles. The most successful Georgia class was the 1983 group that went 43-4-1 with a national title and three SEC crowns.

N.O.T. Just Scoring On Offense

The Bulldogs' 61 touchdowns this season have included 57 by the offense, two by the defense and two by special teams.

The last N.O.T.s (Non-Offensive TDs) came in the 43-29 road win over Missouri. Georgia had a 20-7 lead at halftime and the offense did not have a TD The Bulldogs' first score came on a forced fumble/64-yard return for a TD by freshman Tyson Campbell. In the second quarter, redshirt freshman Eric Stokes blocked his first career punt and returned it eight yards for a score. This marked the 10th defensive/special teams score in the Kirby Smart era. In fact, Georgia's first TD in both of the first two SEC games this year were scored by the defense.

Also, it was the first time since 2015 at Tennessee that Georgia had registered a special teams TD and a defensive TD in the same game. That year, current Chicago linebacker Leonard Floyd had a 96-yard FR-TD and Reggie Davis had a 70-yard PR-TD.

Dynamic Duo

Georgia is one of six FBS schools that has two running backs with at least 850 yards each.

1. Memphis - 2,593 yds. / 361 carries = 7.2 avg. (Darrell Henderson, Patrick Taylor)
2. Florida Atlantic - 2,214 yds. / 395 carries = 5.6 avg. (Devin Singleterry, Kerrith Whyte)
3. Pittsburgh - 2,069 yds. / 299 carries = 6.9 avg. (Qadree Ollison, Darrin Hall)
4. Louisiana - 1,906 yds. / 303 carries = 6.3 avg. (Trey Ragas, Elijah Mitchell)
5. GEORGIA - 1,858 yds. / 272 carries = 6.8 avg. (D'Andre Swift, Elijah Holyfield)

Blankenship Latest Good Works Team Rep

When junior PK Rodrigo Blankenship was named to the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his dedication to the community, he joined a long list of Bulldogs who have garnered this honor.

In fact, Georgia leads the nation with 19 recipients since the award's inception in 1992.

Here is a look at all of the Bulldogs who have been named to the Good Works Team:

Alec Millen - 1992	Quentin Moses - 2006
Travis Jones - 1993	Kelin Johnson - 2007
Brian Smith - 1993	Jeff Owens - 2009
Matt Stinchcomb - 1997	Aaron White - 2011
Matt Stinchcomb - 1998	Aaron Murray - 2012
Brett Millican - 2000	Chris Conley - 2014
Jon Stinchcomb - 2001	Malcolm Mitchell - 2015
David Greene - 2003	Jeb Blazevich - 2016
D.J. Shockley - 2005	Aaron Davis - 2017

Youth Movement

The Bulldogs returned 51 lettermen from their 2018 squad, including 13 starters. However, Georgia is still the SEC's youngest team and the nation's 15th youngest team with 68.2 percent being either freshmen or sophomores.

Total	Fr. (True/RS)	Soph.	Team	Size	Pct.
Georgia	88	58 (39/20)	30	129	68.2

Record Watch

Junior PK Rodrigo Blankenship has set two all-time school career records this year and has two more on the horizon.

He now has 147 consecutive PATs, which topped Blair Walsh's 119 from 2008-10. Blankenship has 58 PATs on the year and is closing in on Marshall Morgan's 67 in 2014.

The next record to keep an eye on is career touchbacks. The record is held by Kevin Butler (1981-94) who had 169 during his career. Currently, Blankenship has 162.

Last year, Blankenship set the season touchback record with 67 breaking the mark held by Butler who had 51. Against UMass on Nov. 17, Blankenship topped his own record with 69. Currently, he ranks second nationally in touchbacks with 74 in 88 kickoffs with OU's Austin Seibert leading with 80 in 96 kickoffs.

Bulldog Graduates

Georgia has three players on this year's roster who have already earned their undergraduate degrees.

The players who received their undergraduate degrees include: DL Jay Hayes (Notre Dame-Film, Television, Theater), P Landon Stratton (Murray State-Occupational and Health Safety) and OL Sean Fogarty (UGA-History). Hayes is pursuing a Master's degree in Financial Planning while Stratton is enrolled in the Master's program for Learning, Leadership and Organizational Development. Fogarty is taking a full load of undergraduate courses.

All of the SEC players who have achieved an undergraduate degree will be sporting the SEC Graduate patch on their uniforms.

UGA 13th In US News & World Report rankings

UGA jumped three spots to No. 13 in the U.S. News & World Report 2019 ranking of best public national universities, the highest ranking in UGA's history. This is the third consecutive year the university has risen in the U.S. News ranking.

Notre Dame, Texas A&M Coming To Athens In '19

Games with Notre Dame and Texas A&M highlight the 2019 home schedule announced recently by the SEC.

Notre Dame will be visiting Athens for the first time in history while the Aggies will be making their first appearance between the hedges since 1980 (Georgia won 42-0). Georgia posted a 21-19 win in South Bend last year, which marked the first meeting since the 1981 Sugar Bowl (Georgia 17-10).

The Bulldogs have yet to face the Aggies in an SEC contest as the last time they squared off came in the 2009 Independence Bowl (Georgia won 44-20).

Georgia will open at Vanderbilt for the first time since 1956 in Nashville and open a season with an SEC contest for the first time since 1995 (versus South Carolina in Athens).

2019 Schedule

Aug. 31 at ^Vanderbilt
Sept. 7 MURRAY STATE
Sept. 14 ARKANSAS STATE
Sept. 21 NOTRE DAME
Sept. 28 Open Date
Oct. 5 at ^Tennessee
Oct. 12 ^SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 19 ^Alabama
Oct. 26 Open Date
Nov. 2 vs. ^Alabama (Jacksonville)
Nov. 9 ^MISSOURI
Nov. 16 at ^Alabama
Nov. 23 ^TEXAS A&M
Nov. 30 at Alabama
^SEC game

First-Time Starters In 2018

The Bulldogs had seven first-time starters in their 2018 season opener versus APSU.

APSU: Isaiah Wilson (RT), Tyler Simmons (WR), Ahkil Crumpton(WR), D'Andre Walker (LB), Tyson Campbell (DB), Walter Grant (LB), Jake Camarda (P).
MTSU: Cade Mays (LT), Mark Webb (DB), William Poole (DB)
UF: Jordan Davis (DL), Jeremiah Holloman (WR)
UK: Tae Crowder (ILB)
AU: Otis Reese (DB)
UMASS: Eric Stokes (DB), Trey Hill (RG)
GT: Malik Herring (DT), Michael Barnett (N)

The True Freshman Experience

During the opener, 18 true freshmen played for the Bulldogs while 36 newcomers made their debut. Tyson Campbell started the season opener at DB in his first collegiate contest.

Bulldog Captains In 2018